2.23.2015

The Anna Blouse Pattern

I am so happy you are here! Today I am launching my first Apparel Sewing Pattern - The Anna Blouse. It is a flattering style and perfect for the advanced beginner / intermediate sewist. I will teach you how to sew French Seams and add Bias Trim the easy way!

The pattern includes instructions to make a short sleeve version with a keyhole detail.

You will also find instructions for making short and long sleeve versions with a tie detail.

The fabric for the version pictured is from Cloud 9 fabrics and can be found HERE.

It has been a long journey starting with the blouse you see pictured above that I made for the Palos Verdes Cloud 9 fabric challenge over at Sew Mama Sew last year. I knew then that I wanted to create women's clothing patterns for sale.

My goal is to help you create a hand made wardrobe that looks professionally sewn, with pieces that you love and will wear again and again.

My Anna Blouse includes a pattern for assembling at home as well as a pattern you can send to your local print shop. I am so excited to offer this option for those of you who would rather print out your pattern on one page!

After much deliberation and feedback from my lovely Instagram friends, I decided to illustrate all the sewing instructions instead of using photos.

All my instructions are clear, concise and easy to follow. I will also host a sew along starting March 3rd which will supplement the illustrations featuring photographed instructions and tips.

A little about my background ~

My first sewing love is making clothes. I worked as a fashion designer for women's clothing for over 20 years and was a founding designer for the lines Halogen at Nordstrom and Sergio Valente for Union Bay. I studied Apparel Design at Seattle Central Community College where I learned to make and grade patterns, and sew garments ranging from tailored jackets to jeans! I even produced a line of clothing that I sold in a Seattle Boutique early in my career.

Sewing has been an integral part of my life since I started sewing barbie doll clothes when I was six years old. It seemed like a natural progression to design clothing patterns for home sewers as I learned to sew clothing from clothing patterns when I was just twelve years old.

Charise, I love Halogen! And I'm so excited that you're doing garment patterns now. I just signed up for some garment sewing, fitting, pattern alterations classes at a sewing and quilt expo in Atlanta in mid March. I'm determined to knock down the hurdles that keep me from sewing for myself -- and you are such an inspiration. This blouse is adorable and I look forward to seeing the other patterns you come up with. Question: instead of using the bias tape maker to make the binding, could I use my Bernina Bias Binder contraption to fold and stitch the neckline ties in one step? I bought that presser foot and two different binding width attachments years ago and have never used it for anything.